Date of Submission
Spring 5-12-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Jade Yang
Abstract
With the cost of living rising, Americans are gravitating towards a living arrangement that may seem unconventional by local standards, but is common throughout the world: multigenerational households. This shift signals a growing openness to shared domesticity and a more collective way of living. Traditionally, Americans, like many Western cultures, are perceived to be more individualistic, whereas multigenerational living is often associated with more traditionally collectivist societies in the East. Yet, as social and economic pressures rise, Americans are reconsidering what “home” means to them, not only in terms of their individual space, but in terms of how their day to day lives unfold over time.
In the United States, multigenerational housing is more common in metropolitan or suburban areas through laneway houses, in-law suites, and other accessory dwelling units (ADUs). This thesis explores how architectural design can adapt these suburban solutions to dense urban environments, creating flexible spaces that respond to our daily lives and overlapping routines. Additionally, by supplementing these “homes” with shared and communal spaces, this design can foster intergenerational connections bringing together people of all ages and stages of life. Studies show that roughly two in five Americans have dealt with loneliness, and research published on Scientific Reports shows that urban residents, though close in physical proximity, feel isolated due to the lack of connection with one another.
By rethinking these solutions within a vertical, mixed-use context, this project proposes a critique on the Western notion of the nuclear household and the meaning of “home” as a dynamic space where time, memories, and connection converge. The proposed multifamily, mixed-use complex integrates multigenerational households within an intergenerational community, offering a socially sustainable and resilient framework for how people, of all ages and stages of life, can live together in an urban environment.